Image sensor and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides an image sensor and a control method thereof. The image sensor includes a pixel array module for receiving light and performing photoelectric conversion to form an image analog signal; an interface module for receiving and storing a status instruction sent by an external device; a processing module for judging whether the pixel array module needs to switch the working mode; a readout circuit module for performing analog-to-digital conversion processing on the image analog signal to generate an image digital signal; a parameter module for storing configuration parameters of multiple working modes of the readout circuit module; wherein, when it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, the configuration parameters are obtained from the parameter module, and the register of the readout circuit module is configured according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module; when it is determined that the working mode does not need to be switched, the current parameters of the readout circuit module are maintained according to the status instruction. The present invention can improve the mode switching speed of the image sensor and reduce the overall power consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of image sensors, and in particular to an image sensor and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the advent of the Internet of Things era, the application scope of image sensors is becoming more and more extensive. Since IoT devices are often deployed in environments where it is difficult to frequently replace batteries or charge them, image sensors in this application environment must have extremely low power consumption to maximize the operating time of the device. For example, in the visual cat's eye, the core component image sensor is in monitoring mode. If there is no obvious change in the monitoring field of view, the image sensor can switch to a low-power always-on mode to output low-frame, low-resolution image information. When receiving a trigger signal, such as when a person moves in the monitoring field of view, the image sensor needs to wake up quickly and enter the normal working mode to output high-frame, high-resolution image information. The speed of the switching directly determines whether the image sensor can capture changes in the field of view in a timely and accurate manner.

[0003] In the prior art, when the image sensor switches between the normal working mode and the waiting mode, there is a problem that the writing time of the switching command is too long and the mode switching cannot be completed quickly. In addition, the waiting mode is usually achieved by significantly reducing the main frequency of the chip, which will lead to problems such as excessive reduction in output frame rate and limited reduction in power consumption. Therefore, there is room for improvement. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the object of the present invention is to provide an image sensor and a control method thereof, which are used to solve the technical problems in the prior art that the image sensor takes too long to switch between the normal working mode and the wake-up mode, and the output frame rate in the wake-up mode is reduced too much, while the power consumption reduction is limited.

[0005] To achieve the above object and other related objects, the present invention provides an image sensor, comprising:

[0006] A pixel array module is used to receive light and perform photoelectric conversion to form an image analog signal;

[0007] An interface module, used for receiving and storing status instructions sent by an external device;

[0008] A processing module, used for determining whether the pixel array module needs to switch working modes; and

[0009] A readout circuit module, used for performing analog-to-digital conversion processing on the image analog signal to generate an image digital signal;

[0010] A parameter module, used for storing configuration parameters of multiple working modes of the readout circuit module;

[0011] Wherein, the processing module is further used to obtain configuration parameters from the parameter module when it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, and configure the register of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module;

[0012] The processing module is further configured to maintain the current parameters of the readout circuit module according to the state instruction when it is determined that the working mode does not need to be switched.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing module is also used to obtain configuration parameters corresponding to the wake-up mode from the parameter module when the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the wake-up mode, and configure the registers of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing module is also used to obtain configuration parameters corresponding to the normal working mode from the parameter module when the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the normal working mode, and configure the registers of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame readout timing of the pixel array module is divided into a vertical blanking time and a frame readout time, the vertical blanking time includes a blank time and a reset time only, and the processing module is also used to turn off the power supply of the readout circuit module during the blank time, the blank time represents the time from the completion of the data transmission of the previous frame to the start of resetting the current frame, and the reset time only represents the time for the pixel array module to reset and expose.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the readout circuit module comprises:

[0017] A pixel selection unit, used for selecting pixels of a certain row or column in the pixel array module, and reading charge signals from the pixels of the certain row or column;

[0018] an amplification unit, used for enhancing the charge signal acquired by the pixel array module to generate an analog amplified signal;

[0019] The analog-to-digital conversion unit is used to perform analog-to-digital conversion processing on the analog amplified signal to generate the image digital signal.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the readout timing of a row of the pixel array module is divided into a row readout time and a horizontal blanking time, and the processing module is further used to turn off the power supply of the amplification unit and the analog-to-digital conversion unit during the horizontal blanking time.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the readout circuit module further includes a digital signal processing unit, which is used to perform preliminary processing on the image digital signal output by the analog-to-digital conversion unit and output the processed image digital signal to an external device.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the configuration parameters include the format size, frame rate and working timing of the pixel array module.

[0023] The present invention also provides a method for controlling an image sensor, comprising:

[0024] In response to a status instruction sent by an external device, determining whether the readout circuit module needs to switch the working mode;

[0025] When it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, the configuration parameters are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module;

[0026] When it is determined that the working mode does not need to be switched, the current parameters of the readout circuit module are maintained according to the state instruction.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, the step of obtaining configuration parameters from the parameter module and configuring the register of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module includes:

[0028] When the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the to-be-awakened mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the to-be-awakened mode are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters;

[0029] When the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the normal working mode, configuration parameters corresponding to the normal working mode are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters.

[0030] As described above, an image sensor and a control method thereof of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: the present invention avoids the delay of configuring registers one by one, realizes fast switching between modes, and reduces the overall power consumption of the image sensor. In addition, the present invention also effectively reduces the overall power consumption by finely controlling the power supply of each component during the vertical blanking time and the horizontal blanking time.

[0031] Of course, any product implementing the present invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of an image sensor provided by the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 Shown is a structural schematic diagram of a reading circuit module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a frame readout timing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a row readout timing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 Shown is a flow chart of a control method for an image sensor provided by the present invention.

[0038] Figure 6 Display as Figure 5 A flowchart of a specific implementation of step S200 is shown in FIG.

[0039] Component number description

[0040] 100, pixel array module; 200, parameter module; 300, interface module; 400, processing module; 500, readout circuit module; 510, pixel selection unit; 520, amplification unit; 530, analog-to-digital conversion unit; 540, digital signal processing unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following is an explanation of the embodiments of the present invention by specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the features in the following embodiments and the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict. It should also be understood that the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are intended to describe specific embodiments, rather than to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. The test methods for which specific conditions are not specified in the following examples are usually carried out under conventional conditions or according to the conditions recommended by the manufacturers.

[0042] See also Figures 1 to 5 . It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings in this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions for the implementation of the present invention, so they have no substantial technical significance. Any modification of the structure, change in the proportional relationship, or adjustment of the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention without affecting the effects and purposes that can be achieved by the present invention. At the same time, the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" quoted in this specification are only for the convenience of description, and are not used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. Changes or adjustments in their relative relationships should also be regarded as the scope of the implementation of the present invention without substantially changing the technical content.

[0043] See also Figure 1As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the image sensor may include a pixel array module 100, a parameter module 200, an interface module 300, a processing module 400 and a readout circuit module 500. The pixel array module 100 may be used to receive light and perform photoelectric conversion to form an image analog signal. The parameter module 200 may be used to store configuration parameters of the readout circuit module 500 in different working modes. The interface module 300 may be used to receive and store status instructions sent by an external device. The processing module 400 may be used to determine whether the pixel array module 100 needs to switch the working mode. The readout circuit module 500 may be used to perform analog-to-digital conversion processing on the image analog signal to generate an image digital signal. In this embodiment, when it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, the processing module 400 may be used to obtain the configuration parameters from the parameter module 200, and configure the registers of the readout circuit module 500 according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module 500. When it is determined that the operating mode does not need to be switched, the processing module 400 may be used to maintain the current parameters of the readout circuit module 500 or perform other control operations according to the state instruction in the existing operating mode.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pixel array module 100 is a core component of the image sensor.

[0045] It can be used to capture light and convert it into an electrical signal, thereby forming an image analog signal. The image analog signal represents the charge signal of all pixels in the pixel array module 100. Specifically, the pixel array module 100 is composed of a large number of tiny photodiodes or phototransistors, arranged in a two-dimensional grid, and each unit is called a pixel. When light shines on a pixel, the photodiode converts photons into electrons, and the number of electrons is proportional to the intensity of the received light, thereby forming an image analog signal. The image analog signal can be processed into an image digital signal.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the parameter module 200 can be used to store configuration parameters for controlling the working mode of the image sensor. The configuration parameters of each working mode of the image sensor correspond to a set of specific configuration parameters, which determine how the pixel array module 100 and the readout circuit module 500 respond to factors such as light, processing speed, and power consumption. In this embodiment, the configuration parameters may include format size (resolution), frame rate, and working timing. When it is necessary to switch between different modes, it is necessary to set each register in the readout circuit module 500 according to the parameter value corresponding to the mode. The present invention introduces the parameter module 200 as a fast channel for preset parameters, which effectively accelerates the switching process of the image sensor working mode, improves the response speed and flexibility of the system, and reduces the average power consumption of the system.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interface module 300 can be used to be responsible for the communication between the image sensor and an external device (such as a microcontroller, a system processor). The interface module 300 supports the I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication protocol. Through the interface module 300, the external device can write data to the internal register of the image sensor to configure the working mode, resolution, exposure time, gain, white balance and other parameters of the image sensor. Similarly, the external device can also read the mode information or measurement results of the image sensor through the interface module 300. In this embodiment, the external control device can send a write command to the image sensor through the interface module 300 to modify the configuration parameters inside the image sensor; or send a read command to obtain the current register mode or sensor data.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing module 400 can be used to parse the write instructions received by the interface module 300, and coordinate the work of other components according to these instructions. In this embodiment, first, the processing module 400 can determine whether it is necessary to switch the working mode according to the write instructions received by the interface module 300. For example, if it is not necessary to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module 500 to the wake-up mode, the interface module 300 continues to control the processing module 400 so that the image sensor works in the normal working mode. When it is necessary to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module 500 to the wake-up mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the wake-up mode stored in the parameter module 200 can be imported into the processing module 400 at one time, and the processing module 400 configures each register of the readout circuit module 500, so that the image sensor can quickly enter the wake-up mode. It should be noted that the conventional way for an image sensor to enter the wake-up mode is usually to send commands through I2C, and these commands need to include information such as the format size, frame rate and working timing of the switching image sensor. Since these commands require many registers to be rewritten, the I2C interface takes a long time to write, resulting in the inability to quickly complete the mode switch. The present invention introduces the parameter module 200 as a fast channel for preset parameters. When the mode needs to be switched, the configuration parameters corresponding to the mode are imported into the processing module 400 at one time, solving the problem of fast mode switching.

[0049] In this embodiment, when it is necessary to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module 500 to the normal working mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the normal working mode stored in the parameter module 200 can be imported into the processing module 400 at one time, and the processing module 400 configures each register of the readout circuit module 500, so that the image sensor can quickly enter the normal working mode.

[0050] As described above, the present invention pre-stores configuration parameters such as format size, frame rate and working timing in the parameter module 200. When the mode needs to be switched, these parameters can be quickly imported into the processing module 400, avoiding the delay of configuring registers one by one, thereby achieving rapid switching between modes.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the readout circuit module 500 can be used to read out the image analog signal from the pixel array module 100 row by row to generate the image digital signal. In this embodiment, the readout circuit module 500 may include a pixel selection unit 510, an amplification unit 520, an analog-to-digital conversion unit 530, and a digital signal processing unit 540. Among them, the pixel selection unit 510 is used to select pixels of a specific row or column in the pixel array module 100, and control the switching of the pixels through the row driver and the column selector so that the charge in the pixel can be transferred to the readout line. In some embodiments, in the CCD sensor, the pixel selection unit 510 is also used to transfer the charge in the pixel to the sensing node or buffer. The amplification unit 520 includes a preamplifier and an optional subsequent amplification stage, which can be used to enhance the weak charge signal transmitted from the pixel array module 100 to ensure that the signal strength is sufficient for analog-to-digital conversion while maintaining the signal-to-noise ratio. The analog-to-digital conversion unit 530 can be used to convert the analog amplified signal output by the amplification unit 520 into an image digital signal. The analog-to-digital conversion unit 530 is a key step in the conversion from the analog domain to the digital domain, and determines the dynamic range and accuracy of the image. The digital signal processing unit 540 can be used to perform preliminary processing on the image digital signal output by the analog-to-digital conversion unit 530, including noise filtering, bad pixel correction, linearization, color interpolation, etc., to prepare image data for further processing or storage. The digital signal processing unit 540 is also used to output the processed image digital signal to an external device, such as an ISP (Image Signal Processor), a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a memory. In this embodiment, some or all of the units in the readout circuit module 500 can be turned off at a specific time to reduce the power consumption of the image sensor.

[0052] See also Figure 3In one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention reduces power consumption by optimizing the working timing of the image sensor. In the scanning process of converting the optical signal into the electrical signal, the scanning may start from the upper left corner of the image and move forward horizontally, while the scanning point also moves downward at a slower rate (row cycle). When the scanning point reaches the right edge of the image, the scanning point quickly returns to the left side and restarts the second row scanning below the starting point of the first row. The return process between rows is called horizontal blanking (also called row blanking, Hblank). A complete image scanning signal is composed of a sequence of row signals separated by horizontal blanking intervals, which is called a frame. After the scanning point scans a frame, it returns from the lower right corner of the image to the upper left corner of the image to start scanning a new frame. There will be an interval time, which is called vertical blanking (also called field blanking, Vblank). In this embodiment, in the frame readout timing, a frame time may include a frame readout time and a vertical blanking (Vblank) time. The readout time refers to the time interval from when the image sensor starts reading the signal of the first pixel point of the current frame to when it completes the signal reading of the last pixel point of the current frame and is ready to start reading the next frame. This process includes a series of operations such as charge transfer, amplification, and analog-to-digital conversion in the pixel array module 100. The vertical blanking time refers to the time gap between the end of each frame and the beginning of the next frame, which is mainly used for processing reset and preparation to ensure that the display device or subsequent processing stage can correctly align the data of the new frame. Figure 3 As shown, the vertical blanking time includes a blank time and a reset only time. The blank time represents the time from the completion of the data transmission of the previous frame to the start of the reset of the current frame. The reset only time represents the time for the pixel array module 100 to reset and expose. There is no readout operation during this period, and the reset only time is equal to the exposure time. In this embodiment, the image sensor does not have any action or data output during the blank time. Therefore, the present invention reduces the overall power consumption of the image sensor by turning off the power supply of the readout circuit module 500 during the blank time.

[0053] Further, in one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention reduces the overall power consumption of the image sensor by increasing the proportion of the vertical blanking time in one frame time. For example, the image sensor is required to output 60 frames of images per second in the normal working mode, and 15 frames of images per second in the waiting mode. In the prior art, the waiting mode is usually realized by reducing the main frequency of the image sensor, that is, the frame readout time of the waiting mode becomes 4 times the frame readout time in the normal working mode, the working time of the readout circuit module 500 per second is basically unchanged, and the power consumption is reduced to a limited extent. When the working mode of the image sensor is switched to the waiting mode, the processing module 400 of the present invention will reconfigure the frame readout timing. Specifically, first, the frame readout time in the waiting mode is kept the same as the frame readout time in the normal working mode, so as to ensure that the quality of a single frame image is not affected while reducing the frame rate, and maintain the image processing capability of the system. Then, the vertical blanking time in the waiting mode is extended to reduce the output frame rate. Taking the output of 60 frames of images per second in the normal working mode and the output of 15 frames of images per second in the waiting mode as an example, the time of one frame in the waiting mode is equal to the time of 4 frames in the normal working mode. Therefore, the vertical blanking time in the wake-up mode will be extended to the sum of the vertical blanking time in the normal working mode and the complete 3 frame time in the normal working mode. At the same time, the power supply of the readout circuit module 500 is turned off during the blank time in the wake-up mode to reduce power consumption. It can be seen that after the reconfiguration of the above-mentioned frame readout timing, the proportion of the vertical blanking time in the wake-up mode is greatly improved, and the readout circuit module 500 is turned off during the blank time, thereby reducing the output frame rate while ensuring the quality of each frame, and also effectively reducing the overall power consumption of the image sensor. This method does not need to reduce the main frequency of the image processor, and ensures a sufficient frame rate.

[0054] See also Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, in the row readout timing, a row time includes a row readout time and a horizontal blanking time. Specifically, after each row of data is read out, the horizontal blanking time follows. Figure 4 As shown, during the horizontal blanking time, the amplifying unit 520 and the analog-to-digital conversion unit 530 are in the standby mode. Therefore, the power supply of the amplifying unit 520 and the analog-to-digital conversion unit 530 can be turned off during this period to further reduce the overall power consumption of the image sensor.

[0055] It should be noted that, for a certain frame rate and format, the values ​​of the vertical blanking time and the horizontal blanking time need to be compromised with the power consumption and the data readout rate to effectively balance the power consumption and performance of the image sensor.

[0056] See also Figure 5The present invention also provides a method for controlling an image sensor, which may include the following steps:

[0057] Step S100, in response to a status instruction sent by an external device, determining whether the readout circuit module needs to switch the working mode;

[0058] Step S200: when it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, obtain configuration parameters from the parameter module, and configure the registers of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module;

[0059] Step S300: When it is determined that the working mode does not need to be switched, the current parameters of the readout circuit module are maintained according to the state instruction.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, when step S100 is executed, that is, in response to the status instruction sent by the external device, it is determined whether the readout circuit module needs to switch the working mode. Specifically, the external control device can send a write command to the image sensor through the interface module 300 to modify the configuration parameters inside the image sensor; or send a read command to obtain the current register mode or sensor data. The processing module 400 can determine whether the readout circuit module 500 needs to switch the working mode according to the write instruction received by the interface module 300.

[0061] See also Figure 6 In one embodiment of the present invention, when step S200 is executed, that is, when it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, the configuration parameters are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module, which may include the following steps:

[0062] Step S210: when the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the standby awakening mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the standby awakening mode are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters;

[0063] Step S220: when the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the normal working mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the normal working mode are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, when step S210 is executed, specifically, when it is necessary to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module 500 to the wake-up mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the wake-up mode stored in the parameter module 200 can be imported into the processing module 400 at one time, and the processing module 400 configures each register of the readout circuit module 500, so that the image sensor can quickly enter the wake-up mode.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, when executing step S220, specifically, when it is necessary to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module 500 to the normal working mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the normal working mode stored in the parameter module 200 can be imported into the processing module 400 at one time, and the processing module 400 configures each register of the readout circuit module 500, so that the image sensor can quickly enter the normal working mode.

[0066] In one embodiment of the present invention, when step S300 is executed, that is, when it is determined that the operating mode does not need to be switched, the parameters of the pixel array module are configured according to the state instruction. Specifically, when it is determined that the operating mode does not need to be switched, the readout circuit module 500 can be operated in the existing operating mode, and the parameters of the readout circuit module 500 are maintained or other control operations are performed according to the state instruction.

[0067] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present invention includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a computer readable medium, and the computer program includes a computer program for executing the method shown in the flowchart.

[0068] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and application structures according to various embodiments of the present invention. Among them, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of a code, and the above-mentioned module, program segment, or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram or flowchart, can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0069] The modules involved in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by software or hardware, and the modules described may also be arranged in a processor. The names of these modules do not, in some cases, limit the modules themselves.

[0070] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor of a computer, the computer executes the control method of the image sensor as described above. The computer-readable storage medium may be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiment, or may exist independently without being assembled into the electronic device.

[0071] The present invention also provides a computer program product or a computer program, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, so that the computer device executes the control method of the image sensor provided in each of the above embodiments.

[0072] In summary, the present invention provides an image sensor and a control method thereof. By pre-storing configuration parameters such as format size, frame rate, and working timing in a parameter module, these parameters can be quickly imported into the processing module when the mode needs to be switched, thereby avoiding the delay of configuring registers one by one, thereby achieving rapid switching between modes and reducing the overall power consumption of the image sensor. In addition, the present invention also achieves flexible switching between different working modes by finely controlling the ratio of readout and vertical blanking time, effectively balancing power consumption and performance. By automatically adjusting the switching state of key components in the working mode, especially during periods without data output, unnecessary energy waste is avoided, while reducing power consumption, ensuring the stability of image quality and processing speed, which is of great significance for devices that run for a long time or are powered by batteries.

[0073] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed by the present invention shall still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An image sensor, characterized in that: include: A pixel array module is used to receive light and perform photoelectric conversion to form an image analog signal; An interface module, used for receiving and storing status instructions sent by an external device; A processing module, used for determining whether the pixel array module needs to switch working mode; as well as A readout circuit module, used for performing analog-to-digital conversion processing on the image analog signal to generate an image digital signal; A parameter module, used for storing configuration parameters of multiple working modes of the readout circuit module; Wherein, the processing module is further used to obtain configuration parameters from the parameter module when it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, and configure the register of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module; The processing module is also used to maintain the current parameters of the readout circuit module according to the state instruction when it is determined that the working mode does not need to be switched; The frame readout timing of the pixel array module is divided into a vertical blanking time and a frame readout time, wherein the vertical blanking time includes a blanking time and a reset-only time, and the processing module is further used to turn off the power supply of the readout circuit module during the blanking time, wherein the blanking time represents the time from the completion of the data transmission of the previous frame to the start of the reset of the current frame, and the reset-only time represents the time for the pixel array module to be reset and exposed; The readout circuit module comprises: A pixel selection unit, used for selecting pixels of a certain row or column in the pixel array module, and reading charge signals from the pixels of the certain row or column; an amplification unit, used for enhancing the charge signal acquired by the pixel array module to generate an analog amplified signal; and an analog-to-digital conversion unit, used for performing analog-to-digital conversion processing on the analog amplified signal to generate the image digital signal; The row readout timing of the pixel array module is divided into a row readout time and a horizontal blanking time, and the processing module is further used to turn off the power supply of the amplification unit and the analog-to-digital conversion unit during the horizontal blanking time.

2. The image sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that The processing module is further configured to obtain configuration parameters corresponding to the wake-up mode from the parameter module when the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the wake-up mode, and configure the registers of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters.

3. The image sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that The processing module is further configured to obtain configuration parameters corresponding to the normal working mode from the parameter module when the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the normal working mode, and configure the registers of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters.

4. The image sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that The readout circuit module further includes a digital signal processing unit, which is used to perform preliminary processing on the image digital signal output by the analog-to-digital conversion unit and output the processed image digital signal to an external device.

5. The image sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that The configuration parameters include the format size, frame rate and working timing of the pixel array module.

6. A method for controlling an image sensor, characterized in that: include: In response to a status instruction sent by an external device, determining whether the readout circuit module needs to switch the working mode; When it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, the configuration parameters are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module; When it is determined that the working mode does not need to be switched, maintaining the current parameters of the readout circuit module according to the state instruction; Wherein, when it is determined that the working mode does not need to be switched, the step of maintaining the current parameters of the readout circuit module according to the state instruction further includes: The frame readout timing of the pixel array module is divided into a vertical blanking time and a frame readout time, wherein the vertical blanking time includes a blanking time and a reset-only time, and the power supply of the readout circuit module is turned off during the blanking time, wherein the blanking time represents the time from the completion of the data transmission of the previous frame to the start of the reset of the current frame, and the reset-only time represents the time for the pixel array module to be reset and exposed; The readout circuit module comprises: A pixel selection unit, used for selecting pixels of a certain row or column in the pixel array module, and reading charge signals from the pixels of the certain row or column; an amplification unit, used for enhancing the charge signal acquired by the pixel array module to generate an analog amplified signal; and An analog-to-digital conversion unit, used for performing analog-to-digital conversion processing on the analog amplified signal to generate an image digital signal; The row readout timing of the pixel array module is divided into a row readout time and a horizontal blanking time, and the processing module is further used to turn off the power supply of the amplification unit and the analog-to-digital conversion unit during the horizontal blanking time.

7. The method for controlling an image sensor according to claim 6, wherein: When it is determined that the working mode needs to be switched, the step of obtaining configuration parameters from the parameter module and configuring the register of the readout circuit module according to the configuration parameters to switch the working mode of the readout circuit module includes: When the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the to-be-awakened mode, the configuration parameters corresponding to the to-be-awakened mode are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters; When the working mode of the readout circuit module is switched to the normal working mode, configuration parameters corresponding to the normal working mode are obtained from the parameter module, and the registers of the readout circuit module are configured according to the configuration parameters.

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